Lemony Lentil & Spinach Salad

Yes, I know, this photo is somewhat unappetizing. I tried to make it look as beautiful as the picture in the magazine, I really did. No matter what I tried to do, it just looked like a bunch of green stuff in a bowl. With chunks of white stuff on top. But you’ve got to believe me on this one. Look past aesthetics, this salad is a-maz-ing.

Now that summer is upon us in Toronto I find I’m craving big salads for dinner more often. When the sun is still shining at 6:30 p.m. and you’re dining el fresco, you don’t want a heavy meal like pasta or casserole. Last summer when the temperature actually climbed over 20C we had big salads for dinner almost every night! Needless to say I’m always on the lookout for interesting salads.

The moment I saw this in Food and Drink I wanted it. I spent the next week and a half craving what I imagined to be a heavenly combination: lentils, lemon, feta. So when I finally had the chance to make the salad, you can bet I was pleased to discover it was just as good as I imagined.

The recipe calls for French lentils, known as ‘puy’. If you’re in Toronto, you can find them from the grain lady in the basement of the St. Lawrence Market. If you can’t find French lentils, use green — but make sure they’re dried and not canned. Canned lentils will just be too mushy for this salad.

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Lemony Lentil & Spinach Salad
Adapted from LCBO Food and Drink Magazine
Makes 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 dried lentils, preferably French
1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups small multicolour heirloom tomatoes (cherry or grape)
4 cups spinach
3 thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons fresh basil
Crumbled feta cheese

Method:

1. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add lentils and reduce to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook until lentils are just tender, but not mushy, about 15 minutes.

2. While the lentils are cooking, grate lemon peel into a small bowl and squeeze in two tablespoons lemon juice. Whisk in Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. Add oil and whisk. Drain lentils and place in a large bowl with half the dressing. Cool lentils to room temperature.

3. Slice tomatoes into quarters or halves, depending on their size. Add to lentils along with spinach, green onions, herbs and remaining dressing. Toss and season with salt and pepper, if needed. Crumble feta over top of salad.